Get instant colour with Adam’s easy container recipe

Make the most of a bright winter day and plant up a container to bring instant impact to your plot – just follow Adam Frost’s easy guide

The garden can be looking a little dreary, but a container allows you to introduce instant colour

I love planting up seasonal pots to bring instant interest to the garden. They’re a great way to ring the changes, brighten up a dull spot and give you the opportunity to get creative. For me, potted winter displays are most important of all – the garden can be looking a little dreary, but a container allows you to introduce instant colour. And, best of all, you can position it where it can be seen from the house meaning you can enjoy it without having to venture out in the cold.

There aren’t many rules when it comes to planting a winter container, so just nip to the garden centre and see what takes your fancy. Aim for a mix of foliage, texture and flower colour, looking to grasses, herbaceous perennials, small shrubs and winter bedding plants. I tend to group plants together in my trolley to see how they combine before buying anything, which is an enjoyable task in itself.

I like to give my pots a front and a back, so also aim for plants of varying heights – tall ones go at the back and short ones at the front.

Winter container displays don’t grow as fast as summer ones, so don’t be afraid to pack plants into your pot – it needs to look good right away. You can also move plants into the garden come spring, so really don’t worry if it feels like you’re squashing things in a bit. Also, go easy on the watering through the winter – while compost shouldn’t dry out entirely, don’t allow it to get saturated and waterlogged, as there’s a chance the plants will rot. Raising containers on pot feet will also help avoid this.

Most importantly, have fun. A winter container can be planted in just an hour, giving you a chance to get out and enjoy any sunny days that arrive – after all, they can be few and far between in January!

Plants can be packed into a winter pot quite tightly as they are slow growing at this time of year

1 HALF FILL your container with peat-free multipurpose compost. Break up any big lumps as you go to prevent air pockets forming once planted.

2 ADD your tallest plants at the back of the display first. Build up, or add more, compost around the root ball to get the plant to the right height.

3 GRADUALLY ADD more plants, working towards the front of the display. Tease out the roots of each plant as you remove it from its nursery pot.

4 PUT IN the final plants and fill any gaps with more compost, firming it in well. Move your pot to its final position and water it well to settle things in.